


Day 264

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [264]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:00:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26591791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Relationships: Merrill/Noll (Dragon Age OC)
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [264]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 1





	Day 264

Merrill prayed to June for inspiration. She carved her prayers into the frame of her mirror, she filled the grooves with blood, she called a spirit of wisdom to consult for advice. Merril had tried singing the ancient songs of Arlathen into the stupid thing and nothing had worked. A piece of her people’s history just sitting there, hiding its secrets away and she was too stupid to unlock them.

Since coming to Kirkwall she had tried everything to unlock its secrets, when she wasn’t adventuring with Hawke that was. Now, Hawke called on her less and less but she was spending more time with Noll and she was making no more progress towards unlocking the eluvian than before.

Noll had offered help and while Merrill appreciated the thought, they didn’t really have much expertise in magic or elven history. She was, therefore, very surprised when Noll came with exciting news.

“I have found some ancient texts,” they said. “An apostate has uncovered them and there is a big sale going on tonight.”

“What sort of books do they have?” Merrill asked.

“They didn’t get into specifics,” Noll said. “But there was mention of ancient tevinter texts about mirrors and crystals. I thought...”

“That’s wonderful,” Merril cried out. She kissed Noll and went to get her things. Anything involving mages in Kirkwall would be dangerous. Even if the templars didn't come, human mages were completely batty and prone to burning things without warning, or summoning demons, or cackling maniacally. Merrill especially hated the cackling because she never knew what was so funny, and it made her feel like she had missed something.

“Where did I put my staff?” she mumbled to herself.

“It’s in the mirror room,” Noll said, startling Merrill. She forgot that they could hear her when she mumbled to herself sometimes. It was exactly where Noll had said it was. So was her bag (under the table,) and her gloves (in the cupboard.)

Noll led Merrill through the twisting paths of Darktown. Merrill had no idea where they were going, she was sure Hawke had never taken her that way. It was good that Noll was coming with her.

The meeting spot was through the back room in one of the Darktown taverns. Varric said it was “a run down shithole barely able to call itself a tavern,” but Merrill liked it. Her least favorite part about the city was all the oppressive walls. This place was open to the rest of the street. Which meant she could watch all the people walking by in the street. 

Behind the tavern, there was a back room with a tunnel that led to a tiny room, no bigger than the room she kept her mirror in. No one else was there yet.

“I don’t like this, “ Noll muttered. “Only one way out. If you want back out now…”

Merrill considered it. She really did. She knew that sometimes she could be oblivious to the dangers of Kirkwall but her research was getting nowhere and she needed those books. She shook her head.

The next people to arrive were an elf and two humans, one of whom was completely shrouded in robes and carrying a stack of books.

“Are those the books about the mirrors,” Merrill asked. noll elbowed her in the ribs, something Merrill had learned meant stop talking.

“What she means is that we are here for the deal,” they said. “My friend would like to have a look at what you have on offer.”

The shrouded human stepped forwards and extended its armload of books towards Merrill. It was hard to tell from the outside which ones might be what she was looking for. She reached for the top of the stack and started flipping through the pages. It did seem to be about experiments with eluvians but she couldn’t tell if the author knew any more than she did from the first few pages.

“We should probably hurry this up,” Noll hissed in her ear. She looked up from the book to see the other elf glowering at her. Other mages were filing in now, some carrying books, other bags of… gold probably. If they didn’t act fast someone else might buy these books. 

“I’ll take the books,” she said, pulling out her own coin purse. The elf and Noll seemed like they were about to start haggling but that was when the templars burst in.


End file.
